


Proper Rites

by Shmeebly



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: I wrote this after finishing season 5, I'm sure you'll be more entertained there than here, It has nothing to do with anything, PS it's amazing, The Arena, This was just another drabble, based off my main VLD fanfiction, go watch it
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-05
Updated: 2018-04-05
Packaged: 2019-04-18 16:20:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14217021
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shmeebly/pseuds/Shmeebly
Summary: After the Kral Zera, Lotor and Paladins return to Galra HQ where he has some final business to conduct concerning his father. A couple of familiar faces appear as well.My response to VLD S5 and branching off my main VLD Fic: The Arena.





	Proper Rites

**Author's Note:**

> This is literally just something I wrote in 20 minutes while watching S5...nothing really all that special.
> 
> You'll be confused about characters and relations if you don't go read my other fic first: The Arena.  
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/11703252/chapters/26352639

“My liege,” one of the guards saluted as Lotor made for the ramp away from the docking bay with Team Voltron behind him. “Mistress Amelia is waiting for you in the meditation chamber.”

“Thank you, I’ll see to her company in a few moments,” Lotor said and dismissed him. The guard saluted and walked away.

“Hold on, did he just say Amelia is here?” Hunk asked, his confusion representing the rest of the team’s in equal measure. Lotor turned back to them with a raised brow.

“Yes? How do you know Mistress Amelia?”

“We collaborated with one of her agents on decommissioning one of the arenas,” Pidge put in.

“How do _you_ know her?” Lance eyed him suspiciously.

Lotor smirked at them. “I’m the one who commissioned her to take them down.” There was a silent pause between everyone to sink in this new information. Questions floated in everyone’s heads, but Shiro was the first to voice his.

“Is Ankary with her?”

“I believe so. Agent Blackwell is her right hand. It would be strange if he didn’t accompany her. Would you like to join me in greeting my other guests?” Lotor looked around at the paladins who looked at each other. A couple of shrugs and subtle nods before they came to a consensus. Yes. It would be kinda nice to see them outside of the battlefield. Lotor nodded. “So be it. Follow me and I’ll take you to the meditation chamber.”

* * *

 

“Just like that. Good. Now this symbol needs to go over in that corner. Take the reference with you,” Amelia handed him the large tome and pointed him to the designated spot. Ankary carefully handled the ancient book and went over to said area, placing it on the ground at the edge of the large arcane symbol. He grabbed the bowl of deep crimson blood and swiped two clawed fingers through it, dropping on the ground to finish the last of the marks.

It wasn’t the most precise copy in the world, but it still had that same energy when it was finished. Amelia smiled when she stood back to take a look. A massive circle was painted on the floor in blood. About 15 feet in diameter, the markings were crude at best, but such is the nature of drawing symbols this big with only a limited amount of blood at your disposal. Lines marked four corners inside the circle, creating a square and was intercepted by another square touching the edge of the circle between those of the first square. Arcane symbols and designs were incorporated in the empty spaces and a ring of light made a dull pulse in the center. “Not bad. I think you found your niche as a symbol artist.” Ankary smirked and shook his head.

At the feeling of several familiar auras approaching them, Amelia turned to the door to see not only Lotor, but the members of Team Voltron. “Ah, and his royal majesty returns victorious with his brave and daring knights in shining armor at his side.” She felt a small rise in Ankary’s aura as he turned around. He may be a master as disguising himself to everyone else, but there was no fooling her, even if he tried.

Lotor made a humble bow at the waist, “My lady.”

She returned the gesture, Ankary following her lead, “Emperor Lotor.” There was a spike in his aura and subtle smile on his lips. Obviously he was not used to the new title, but it excited him. “That whole stunt you pulled at the Kral Zera is on the winds of rumor. Prince Lotor lights the flame of a new era with the blessing of Voltron no less.” She looked out at the other faces, they were pleased with the way she phrased their victory. “May it bring peace to this troubled universe.”

“It’s a pleasure to see friendly faces,” Allura asaid, stepping up to greet her, “May I ask what you are you doing here? What is all of this?” She looked down at the floor, taking in the massive symbol painted in blood. The energy it radiated was deep and lulling, like distant thunder.

Amelia addressed her as well as the rest of the team. “Lotor and I have been working in tandem behind closed doors. Before that final battle against Zarkon, I gave him an entrapment crystal. Zarkon’s soul has been fused with the quintessence that powered his armor. If the crystal so much as touched even a drop, Zarkon would be bound and trapped inside until I set it free.” She looked back at the symbol on the floor. “What you see here is a purification vigil. It reverts that which has been corrupted back into its original state.” She made direct eye contact with Lotor, whose aura dropped to something solemn. “Including souls.”

She held out her hand to which Lotor handed over a small crystal no bigger than his palm, a subtle purple glow emitting from it. Just one look at it and Amelia felt a powerful rush of energy flow through her. Wrath and despair and hurt and betrayal and a whole plethora of emotions she could pick up on. Zarkon was not content to stay inside a nonliving vessel. “Once the ritual is complete, I’ll release your father’s soul so he may be properly laid to rest. From there it is out of my hands. The old gods will speak a judgment they deem fair to him.”

She glanced up to the Allura who had a tense expression on his face and a dark betrayal that laced her aura. “Does something trouble you, princess?”

She glanced up at the Dayan, closing off her body language with uncertainty. “Forgive me. It just seems odd to give Zarkon an honorable burial. After all of the pain and suffering he’s caused…”

“I understand your frustration,” Amelia reconciled. “You only know him as this big bad monster who terrorized the entire universe, but I’m sure your father and the other paladins are waiting for him to return to them.” She seemed to soften at that. Another concept hard to grasp. Her father was friends with Zarkon. What would he say if he knew about her unwillingness to let this happen? Amelia put a comforting hand on her shoulder and gave her a soft smile. “It’s okay. I’m sure many share your sentiment, but remember this. Evil is not born. It is crafted.”

She briefly made eye contact with Coran who seemed to have more belief in her words. “I’m sure Master Smythe can vouche for me when I say that Zarkon was not always like this. He was driven to this madness by forces out of his control. A darkness that has since taken over and completely swallowed his very core. With this purification ritual he’ll be cleansed and returned to his true self.” Standing up straight, she turned and walked to the center of the symbol and placed the weapon down in the glowing ring.

Upon noticing Ankary’s absence, she looked over to see him standing with his arms crossed. “Ankary.” The Dayan jumped at her call, breaking whatever trance he was in. She noticed he was looking at Shiro and that his aura was a little unsettled. Amelia made a note to ask about it later. “Come join me so we can begin.” He obediently walked over and sat down on the edge of the glowing ring in the same meditative position she was in. Amelia made one last sweep of the paladins.

“You’re free to stay and witness or leave as you see fit, but either way we are not to be disturbed until the ritual is finished. This is not something that can risk going wrong.” The paladins looked at each other and whispered in debate, but Amelia turned back to the object requiring her attention. Ankary was still looking over at Shiro, his crimson eyes narrowed. “Ankary,” she whispered. He snapped his focus back to her.

“It’s very important that you concentrate solely on the task at hand. Whatever is distracting you, put it away until after we’re done. Understand?” He took a deep breath and nodded. “Good. We can talk about it later. For now, I want you to pay close attention to what we are doing. I have a feeling you might need this skill in the future.”


End file.
